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Renault Estafette 800 kg high roof


Bengalensis

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Here is a project that have been put aside for far too long that I now hope to finish. I started it in late summer of 2011 I think, just as the set of resin parts was released from the small maker Airtrax in Finland. I did a lot of work on it during that winter, and I mean a lot, the "kit" is quite rough... The R4 Fourgonnette I'm currently working on has however given me inspiration for this one again.

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I think the last thing I did was the high roof conversion part that I designed in SolidWorks and had 3D-printed in the summer 2012. At that time we had lost a pretty good printer when Printapart closed their service some time earlier, so I had to resort to Shapeways which was once again a disappointment, especially after the good work done on the 3D-model. I never got inspiration to even try to rescue the part and the project got sidelined.

I have only a few pictures from the project, but here follows a quick look back.

This is what the base kit looks like. I took this photo today of my second kit. The resin parts are quite rough, they actually look better in the photo than they are. Still better than starting from scratch. The dash panel shown here is an improved version the maker issued later.

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Again printed references are in good supply, I think my Estafette pile is at least 25-30 cm high. These are the books I have used most.

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After a lot of cleaning up, filling and scratching chassis parts I had this. The wheels are modified Tamiya Citroen 2CV with tyres from a Tamiya VW. Suspension parts were sourced from Heller's 4CV and Tamiya's A110. The engine detail is restricted to what will be seen from underneath. The exterior had not had much work done to it at this point.

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Here are the prepared interior parts. Most of them are scratch built, some sourced from a Quattroroute die-cast Dauphine. Nothing from the kit is used.

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This is the underside after much work. The frame section detail in the centre is not correct but I'm leaving that.

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Here are few pictures where much more work had been done to the exterior, but still more remained. Today there is not a single detail feature that hasn't been changed, sharpened up, scratched or improved in some other way.

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I had decided at the start that this would become a high roof version. I could have shaped a roof from a block, but sometimes I'm lazy, I work quite a lot in 3D and have used for many parts before this, so I sat down and created the conversion part I needed with an original three pan Renault drawing as the base for my sketches.

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Here the new roof is loosely in place in the summer 2012 after the original had been cut off. More exterior details have also been improved on the body. This is pretty much where progress stopped. The roof is rough and the detail ridiculously soft of the top, clearly their printer was not up to it. As I know this would have been printed so much better by our previous service I lost interest to work on the part.

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And here is the state of the project today. I think what remains to be done, apart from sorting the roof issue, is to make the footsteps, some hinge details for the rear doors and all windows, paint and finish. More or less.

Exterior detail parts. The kit came with the rear light cast in red resin, but I asked for clear instead as they should be orange and red. I received those later but as you can see I haven't prepared them yet. One more thing to do.

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Radiator PE core, the grille and exhaust system.

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Interior parts. I can't remember what the box with the red dot is any more. I have built it as it should be somewhere. Clearly I need to refresh my memory and do some research...

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The underside detail.

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Body, roof and chassis. I have a new roof on the way now, hopefully it will be better.

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Ah, Jorgen, you've got me spellbound again. Looks like another interesting buildthread you have started and until you showed the rear end, it looked a lot like the litle Suzuki van, which down here was called the 'Half loaf'.

Colin

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Many thanks guys, I hope it will be finished now.


Another blast from the past more memories coming back.

Good to hear! OT now, but perhaps this will be another as well. My 1970 R16. This is the car I drive the most in the summer season, wherever I'm going. I want one in 1/24, now, I'll even take crappy resin with air bubbles if I have to... :)

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Have you ever built something 'out of the box' or do all your models have so much stunning detail added?

Hmm, well, I think I have done OOB even in modern days, but I have to admit I can't remember right now... Less detailed is more common, I think. :)

I thought I should get the last details done before I get the new roof so nothing else is stopping me. I made the footsteps from a styrene sheet with vac formed grains. Should be close enough.

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As I was going to clean up the transparent rear lights I noted that one of them was incompletely cast with a hole in the centre. As if it wasn't enough as they are. I had no clear resin available so I decided to fill it with epoxy. I haven't got much hope for them anyway as they look even cruder than the red ones did.

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The photo etched front emblem looks quite nice. I haven't decided if mine should have this "Estafette 800" or the slightly older "Estafette", but I'll finish this and see how it looks. As I sanded it to prepare for Alclad gold paint I discovered it was brass and not stainless. It should now be fine with only a thin red coat and then sanding it back before a few good clear coats to make it smooth.

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I also made mud flaps for the rear wheels.

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When the epoxy had cured I sanded the back of the rear lights to the correct thickness and tried cleaning them up. They don't look very nice.

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Before giving up on them I thought I'd try a good dip in acrylic clear to see what comes out. Here the first dip is drying.

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Then I made the upper hinges for the rear doors, and while I was there I also improved the lower ones a bit more.

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Here are the rear lights after two dips in clear. Still not exactly what I want, but maybe not hopeless? I'll think about that while I may look for parts to scratch them from.

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I also tried to take some photos of the disappointing roof. The problem is the way the scores across the roof become ridiculously vague on the top, they are equally sharp and deep all over in the model. Everything else is no big deal to get a good finish to with a little work. Hopefully the new roof will be better to work with even if not perfect.

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I considered crash moulding, but they would become slightly larger and they are already on the large side. I then found two 1/43 scale headlights in styrene that could possibly be used, so I decided to try scratching new rear lights. I also changed my mind and will do the older all red lights with a thin chrome strip around the lower reflex. First I glued my findings to a piece of clear styrene with liquid MEK.

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Then they were cut out and filed to size.

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The reflexes will be made from these 1/43 lights that are photo etched with a clear resin blob on top. I have sanded them flat, and the idea is to paint the parts separately with clear read, then sand the edges to bring out the stainless steel ring. We'll see what comes out of that.

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Here's how they look at the rear end together with the license plate light housing.

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I had almost forgotten that the wheels were not all done yet. The Estafette wheels have much rounder and more protruding centres, so something needs to be done. Again the 1/43 lights scrap box came to rescue. These five spotlights are from the same master, just cast in different resin. They were sanded down in height and then hollowed out a bit on the underside to give a tight fit on top of the wheel centres.

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Glued in place and waiting for sanding. I hope to make this without messing with filler.

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This should be more like the real thing once painted a single colour.

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I also now remember what the strange part I built for the interior is. The heater housing with fan motor that goes under the dashboard. :)

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Hi There,

I love the work shown on these threads and seeing something very different from most model builds.

I always like the quirky designs that the French manufacturers used to offer in the 50's and 60's.

I was recently at the fantastic Bubble Car Museum, in Lincolnshire (well worth a visit) and I spotted a 66/67 Citroen outside. I think it's a Belphegor but I may be wrong. OK it was falling apart but would make a wonder diorama for some of our skilled members.

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Regards

Reggie

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I hope the beautiful Belphegor will get some much needed care.

The new roof arrived during the week and it looked a lot better. Not perfect, it needs a little bit of work and it's quite flimsy, but on the whole it was the relatively easy way to make a high roof it was supposed to be. The flimsiness will be a lesser problem when it's glued to the body, when the sides are fixed the top will go back to the correct shape. It may need some reinforcement.

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So I gave it a good cleaning and a light sanding, then I started to glue it in place. That went very well and with some minor adjustments and, as planned, a bit of 2-part filler at the front it looked very much like it should. The top almost went back to the correct shape but there was a very slight bow, so I cut and bent a thin metal rod to shape and glued it inside to correct the last bit. I needed to make an all new edge around the rear window so I filled that with a piece of 0,5 mm sheet styrene cut to perfect fit. This will then be opened up saving a thin edge.

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Just need to get the rear window done and then it will be primer, at last.

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Thanks Keith. During most of the project I have been thinking of the white and orange Renault Service livery, probably with a slightly more beige roof, as used by some local Renault garages in the early 60's. This livery was used, in variations, both by dealers, garages and works supported competition teams. It might be a bit obvious choice, but I have always liked it. I'm not 100% sure yet though.

With the rear window done this is what I have.

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At last I have got the first primer sprayed on this one. It's good to see it in one colour after this long time, three years since first started. As expected it revealed a number of areas on the body that require more work. Some will just need sanding and a second primer coat, a few will need filler. But I had expected much more work, so it's a good result so far.

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This really coming on now. The roof looks just as fragile as the original did.

I like your thoughts of doing the Renault Service colour scheme they did look smart in that!

We had a fleet of them belonging to a laundry in the blue and cream scheme which to me looked dull in comparison - what ever you chose will look superb!

Roger

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Thanks for your support and kind comments.

At last I have finished sanding the first primer coat. The other parts where no big deal, but the body has been quite a lot of work, so I've had to do it several sessions. But now it's done and I'm very pleased with the result. It now needs a second thin primer coat, and then it should be ready for paint.

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Some small parts needed a second coat of primer so I sprayed that and I also sprayed the interior floor. The body exterior was masked off for protection and the inside got a good coat of primer as well. I won't bother with the rear compartment other than spraying the base colour inside, but the front door interiors will need some more careful painting.

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Why does the front of it remind me of a Cyberman?

Can you imagine how awful one of those would

have been to drive? I drove a Renault 8 back in

1976 or so. Just the once.

I also drove Morris J4's back then.

Awful, but in a silly way.

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Why does the front of it remind me of a Cyberman?

Can you imagine how awful one of those would

have been to drive? I drove a Renault 8 back in

1976 or so. Just the once.

I also drove Morris J4's back then.

Awful, but in a silly way.

They were a bit. Did the J4 have the back to front gearbox? J2s were worse.

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Sorry, Jorgen!

I remember the J4 had a decent gearchange.

The J2 had cables to the 'box.

The Transit was a revelation when it arrived!

BTW, I have yet to drive a French car with a decent gearchange!

Rented a brand new 207 and it was like a 50's truck.

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